The Suffolk University Athletics Department has announced several major changes to their staff for the upcoming 2013-14 calendar. Head Baseball Coach Cary McConnell will serve as Interim Director of Athletics as he replaces Jim Nelson, who recently retired after 47 years at the institution.
McConnell has been at Suffolk University since 1996 serving as Head Baseball Coach and also Associate Director of Athletics.
In 2013, McConnell received the Jack Butterfield Award by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) for the 2013 season. The award is given to an active New England coach who demonstrates integrity and dedication to the game of college baseball. Earlier last season McConnell recorded his 500th career collegiate victory in his 21st season as a head coach. He finished his 18th season as skipper of the Rams guiding Suffolk to a 29-14 record in the 2013 season. Suffolk finished the year as the number eight ranked team in New England in the final NEIBA poll.
In his time at Suffolk, McConnell has won 453 contests (.634 winning percentage), recording at least 20-wins in a year for 16 consecutive seasons. He has guided Suffolk to four NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, along with four Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) titles. Suffolk has appeared in the GNAC's Conference Championship game for seven consecutive years. He has been named the GNAC Coach of the Year on four occasions and has taken Suffolk to nine Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournaments, including a 2000 championship. Three players from last year’s team were named with All-Region honors by the NEIBA bringing the total to 29 honorees from the program in his tenure. Among those honored this year was senior Mike Cunningham (Syosset, N.Y.) who became the third player under McConnell to earn American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All-American honors. Cunningham was also tabbed as the GNAC Player of the Year. Five Suffolk players have also gone on to sign professional contract throughout the years.
Last May, McConnell was inducted into the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame alongside his 2000 Baseball team. That team set a school record with 38 wins in a season, while his pitching staff led all NCAA Division-III baseball programs in earned run average (2.69) and strikeouts (401). They made their first NCAA appearance while winning both the GNAC and ECAC Tournaments. They were also inducted into the GNAC's inaugural Hall of Fame Class of 2010.
McConnell is also an enshrined member of the Medina County Hall of Fame (2007) and Brunswick high School Hall of Fame (1994) in his native Ohio.
A graduate of the College of Wooster, McConnell was a four-year starter in the infield for the Scots and was selected to the All-Decade Team for the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) for the 80's. At Wooster, McConnell played in four straight NCAA Tournaments and one World Series finishing 5th. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and earned certification to teach at the Secondary level. In addition, he holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Rochester (Rochester, New York).
Marco D’Andrea has been named Head Coach for the Men’s Soccer program. D’Andrea served as an assistant to the team for the past three seasons, including the 2010 season in which Suffolk claimed their first ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship and the program’s first ever berth into the NCAA Division-III Tournament.
D’Andrea graduated from Suffolk University in 2008 after a two-year career with the Rams. He was a two-time All-Conference selection by the GNAC and finished 18th among all players in the nation in assists per game in 2005. He transferred into Suffolk after two seasons at Merrimack College.
D’Andrea is a first generation college student as he was born and raised in Belmont, Massachusetts after his parents moved from Italy in 1977. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Suffolk as a Sociology major.
D’Andrea still plays competitive men’s soccer in the Bay State Soccer League.
Joing D’Andrea will be Jack DeJesus, who will serve as Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach. DeJesus played three seasons for Suffolk from 2007 through 2010. As a senior, DeJesus was a second team All-Conference selection by the GNAC as a goalkeeper during the Rams’ NCAA Tournament run where he also served as a team captain.
Since his playing days, DeJesus has worked with the Hamilton Wenham Regional High School soccer team.
DeJesus graduated from Suffolk University in 2011 as a Criminal Justice major.
Kristine Mickelson has been named Head Coach for Women’s Volleyball. Mickelson has served as an assistant coach at Suffolk University for the previous two seasons.
Mickelson played collegiately at Bentley University where she appeared in every contest for the Falcons during her four year career. She posted career stats of 985 kills, 399 digs and 399 blocks and was named an NCAA Division-II East Region All-Tournament team selection in 2009. She was also a two-time All-Conference selection by the Northeast-10 (NE-10) as a junior and senior and helped lead Bentley to an NE-10 crown in 2006. Mickelson was also a AVCA Division-II All-East Region team selection in 2008. While at Bentley, Mickelson also served as their athletic student-athlete representative at the NE-10 Spring Conference and NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Development Conference during 2008. Mickelson also served on Bentley’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Mickelson originally hails from San Diego, California where she attended Scripps Ranch High School. Mickelson earned a degree in Marketing with a minor in Global Studies from Bentley in 2010.
Joining Mickelson will be Shelagh Dolan, who will serve as an assistant coach.
Dolan comes to Suffolk after wrapping up a four year career at Providence College in 2012. Dolan was a four year starter for the Friars at middle blocker and was among the leaders in the America East in hitting percentage her senior season. Dolan has also worked several local volleyball camps at Boston College and Bentley University and has also coached the SMASH Volleyball Club out of Newton. Dolan also earned her IMPACT Certification sponsored by USA Volleyball and has worked the Annual MGVCA Clinic in Cantion where she trained with Trained with University of Florida Head Coach Mary Wise and AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. She also officiates games as a referee in the Nashoba Valley Summer League.
Dolan originally hails from Westford, MA where she was a four year starter at Westford Academy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Providence College as a Spanish major with a minor in Writing. Dolan graduated with Cum Laude Honors and was a member of the Phi Sigma Iota International Foreign Language Society, Sigma Delta Pi National Spanish Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma Student-Athlete Honor Society while also earning selection to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll.